Listen Carefully

I. EXORDIUM:

Are you listening carefully?

Yes. I take lectures and I memorize. If time permits me, I even type them. Mark 4:24

Mark 4:24

And He said to them, Be careful what you are hearing. The measure [of thought and study] you give [to the truth you hear] will be the measure [of virtue and knowledge] that comes back to you—and more [besides] will be given to you who hear.

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show that GOD is interested on how we listen to His WORDS, He promises more spiritual understanding/knowledge to those who keeps and obeys His WORDS.

IV. TEXT:

Luke 8:18

Be careful therefore how you listen. For to him who has [spiritual knowledge] will more be given; and from him who does not have [spiritual knowledge], even what he thinks and guesses and supposes that he has will be taken away.

V. THESIS:

Praise, worship and thank You very much LORD JESUS for You have kept me listening to Your WORDS and You gave us trained ears of a disciple.

Isaiah 50:4

[The Servant of God says] The Lord God has given Me the tongue of a disciple and of one who is taught, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He wakens Me morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as a disciple [as one who is taught].

VI. TITLE:

Listen carefully

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Author: Luke, the beloved physician

B. Date written: Before 70 A.D.

C. Purpose: To give a connected and orderly narrative of the life of Christ as seen by eye witnesses,—Thompson Chain - Bible Book Outlines

D. To whom written: Addressed to Theophilus, an unknown person. —Thompson Chain - Bible Book Outlines

E. Main Theme: Jesus of Nazareth is the perfect Son of Man who came "to seek and to save that which was lost",—Thompson Chain - Bible Book Outlines

F. Key words: Jesus the Son of Man.—Thompson Chain - Bible Book Outlines

G. Key verse: Luke 1:4 (Amplified Bible)

1:4 [My purpose is] that you may know the full truth and understand with certainty and security against error the accounts (histories) and doctrines of the faith of which you have been informed and in which you have been orally instructed.

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. To him who has more will be given

"Be careful therefore how you listen. For to him who has [spiritual knowledge] will more be given;"

Hebrews 2:1

SINCE ALL this is true, we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths that we have heard, lest in any way we drift past [them] and slip away.

Example of listening:

Berean Jews - they study the WORD, searching it daily to see if these things were so

Acts 17:11

Now these [Jews] were better disposed and more noble than those in Thessalonica, for they were entirely ready and accepted and welcomed the message [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] with inclination of mind and eagerness, searching and examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Proverbs 2:2-5

Making your ear attentive to skillful and godly Wisdom and inclining and directing your heart and mind to understanding [applying all your powers to the quest for it];

Yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,

If you seek [Wisdom] as for silver and search for skillful and godly Wisdom as for hidden treasures,

Then you will understand the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of [our omniscient] God.

Take heed or "blepo" in Greek meaning:

1. to look at

2. to behold, beware, perceive, regard, look on, sight, lie

That is like too much attention on GOD's WORDS will let it sink into your own heart, until it's a part of living, part of your lifestyle.

Luke 9:44

Let these words sink into your ears: the Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men [whose conduct is opposed to God].

There's a reward in listening. You will have more spiritual understanding and knowledge of GOD's WORDS. Deeper GOD's WORDS, or the more deeper GOD's WORDS is, the deeper you understand it and GOD will reveal to you deeper words and secret messages.

B. From him who does not have, that little will be taken away

"and from him who does not have [spiritual knowledge], even what he thinks and guesses and supposes that he has will be taken away."

Seemeth or "dokeo" in Greek meaning:

1. to think

2. to be accounted of

3. be of reputation

4. seem good

5. suppose

We can't think of ourselves higher than what GOD thinks of us. We better use the WORD of GOD as standards and not other people to compare ourselves to them.